Santa Barbara County Biographies
JOHN S. HENNING
Submitted by Peggy Hooper
This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm
JOHN S. HENNING, a prominent contractor and builder of Lompoc, was born at Paris,
Stark county, Ohio, in 1829. The father was a farmer, owning 112 acres. He died at
the age of eighty-two years, and the mother is still living, at the age of eighty-two
years; the land is still in the family. The subject of this sketch was educated in the
common schools of Stark County, and at the age of nineteen years began to learn his
trade, serving an apprenticeship with a Mr. Bowman at Canton, who later carried on
business at South Bend, Indiana. After two years of training Mr. Henning took his first
contract for a store building, which he carried through successfully; thereafter he did
contract work about the county. In 1851 lie started for Oregon, across the plains,
wintering on the Missouri River, and arriving in Oregon September 9, 1852. Mr.
Henning came with the Hardman family, which made up a company of twenty-two
wagons. They had a very journey, with no deaths but three births. At Oregon City and
Portland our subject worked at his trade until the fall of 1853, when he went to Olympia,
Washington Territory, with the Government officials, who were sent there to take
charge of the Territory. He followed his trade up to February, 1854, when he went to
Seattle, and remained until 1857, building and contracting. He bought a place and built
a house near Seattle, but was burned out by the Indian outbreak in 1855. Under
Governor Stephens' call for volunteers Mr. Henning enlisted for three months, in
Company H, Second Regiment, and was in a three-months engagement, mainly on
scout duty. On January 13, 1856, he re-enlisted in Company A, First Regiment,
and was in the fight at Seattle, Salmon Bay and Duwanish River, being in service about
one year. He then returned to Seattle, and followed his trade until 1857, when he was
again burned out by Indians. He then went into the logging business, furnishing Seattle
mills.
In the fall of 1857 he came to California, and settled in Santa Clara County, where he
bought 220 acres of land and built a house. He farmed a little, and worked at his trade.
Mr. Henning remained in that county until February, 1877, when he sold out and came
to Lompoc. He bought 120 acres of land, north of town, built his residence, and began
working at his trade, which he has since continued. Prior to 1885 he erected nearly all
the buildings of Lompoc. In 1885 he went to San Diego, and worked ten months, during
the boom, and twenty months at Santa Barbara, building the Hawley Block, and some
of the finest residences of that city. He returned to Lompoc, which has since been the
field of his labors.
Mr. Henning was married in Santa Clara, in 1860, to Miss Mary Conner, a native of
Massachusetts, who died in April, 1865, leaving three children. In 1868 he married Miss
Mary Millikin, a native of Iowa, and they have had eight children; ten of all survive.
The sons carry on the ranch, which consists of eight acres in prunes and other fruits, a
fine tank house, and Mr. Henning will soon erect a more spacious residence.
History of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties, California - by
C.M. Gidney, Benjamin Brooks, Edwin M. Sheridan, Vol I, II. -Lewis Publ. Co.,
Chicago, 1917.